Gut Microbes in Wild and Captive Snub-Nosed Monkeys

Results:

Student Develops Technique for Extracting and Preserving DNA from Monkeys

Asian leaf-eating snub-nosed monkeys are difficult to maintain in captivity and are highly prone to gastrointestinal disease and ultimately death. Changes in diet can disturb the bacteria that line the intestines and that are critical to digestion and nutrient absorption. Altered composition of gut bacteria may help explain why captive monkeys so readily succumb to disease. This study sought to determine whether there are differences in intestinal bacteria populations between wild and captive snub-nosed monkeys. The student examined fecal samples from snub-nosed monkeys that live in the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou, China. This study established basic techniques that will enable future work on gut bacteria in snub-nosed monkeys. Specifically, the student identified a practical and effective technique for preserving and transporting fecal samples from the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve to the lab using FTA cards, which are coated with a chemical that breaks cells apart but preserves the DNA inside the cells. The student also identified an effective method for extracting the microbial DNA using a Qiagen DNA extraction kit. Once the DNA is extracted, it can be sequenced, and the gut bacteria species can be identified. The data collected will aid in future investigations that compare bacterial species present in wild and captive snub-nosed monkeys in order to better understand and meet the dietary and health needs of these monkeys in captivity and in the wild.